A Barnicle Abroad

I have finally made it to Italy. 

After a seven hour flight from JFK, I landed in Rome on Tuesday, August 27. I only slept one hour on the plane and am still trying to get over my jet lag and the six hour time difference. It was reassuring to see that the airport was filled with other college students getting ready to study abroad-- all of us feeling the same nerves mixed with excitement. 

Preparing to leave for Rome was difficult, especially during my last week home. Saying my goodbyes to friends at Stonehill and loved ones at home was one of the hardest things I've had to do. I already miss everyone, but I am already starting to adjust to my new living situation. I was placed in an apartment in Trastevere, a well known neighborhood in Rome. There are four of us in our apartment with two bedrooms, a small common room, kitchen, and one bathroom. It is a lot nicer than what I had been picturing, but there are some quirks. For example, in our bedroom there is a giant neon green triangle painted on the back wall, bright red curtains, and incredibly tall closets with more neon green shapes painted on. Not like what I am used to at Stonehill, but the ceilings are high and there is plenty of space. After a little rearranging and decorating we have started to make the room our own.

We had a couple of maintenance issues in the last couple of days regarding our shower. There is a giant water heater hanging above the bathtub that needs to be kept on at all times. First, we couldn't figure out how to switch the water flow from the faucet to the shower head, so my first shower in the apartment was me and a bucket of hot water. When in Europe, right? Once we figured out how to switch the water flow, the water heater stopped working. So my roommates and I were talking ice cold showers. The landlord came into our apartment, walked straight into the bathroom, and flipped a switch. Three hours later we had our hot water back, simple as that. We are learning one step at a time here in Rome.

 

Trastevere is absolutely gorgeous and I still cannot believe that this is going to be my home for the next few months. It is located on the other side of the Tiber River, across from the city center and historical monuments. The past few days have been spent exploring our neighborhood and trying to get to know our way around. Rome is not only overwhelming in its tremendous beauty, but also in its layout and design. Every street looks identical to the other. We have already done plenty of walking just trying to find our way back to the apartments, but getting lost in Rome is nothing to complain about.

The gelato is incredible, the pasta is to die for, and the pizza is delicious; however, I think I am going to need to expand my food selection eventually. This trip has to be all about trying new things. Both my roommate and I have been surprised at how different life is in Italy. It is a much more relaxed atmosphere compared to our fast-paced American lifestyle.

This past week has been busy with the scheduled Orientation program at John Cabot University -- info sessions, tours, etc. I have spent a lot of my time with the girls from Stonehill, but we have also met a lot of new people from all over the States. I had already been good acquaintances with a couple of the Stonehill girls, but I did not know them well before this trip. It has been so much fun going out with all of them and exploring Rome. I am very excited for our adventures to come! We finally ventured out across Ponte Sisto (one of the bridges over the Tiber River) and saw the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, Colosseum, Campo dei Fiori, and much more. There is so much to do and see in Rome! It is amazing because you are right in front of these magnificent structures with just a turn of a corner.

I am going to do my best to keep everyone updated on my life in Rome. I'm sure it will be interesting. I've only been here for five days, but it seems like it has been one month already. Next weekend the API group is traveling to Tuscany for a wine tasting in the countryside, after that we will be starting to venture out to see more of Europe. I love and miss you all!

Pre-Departure

Where to?

In a little less than a month I will be flying to Italy and living in Rome for an entire semester. I have probably said that exact sentence a million and two times this summer; but, it has not sunk in for me just yet. Honestly, I do not think it will be real until I am on my way to JFK. 

I have wanted to study abroad since my senior year of high school. For the longest time study abroad was the only definite thing in my four year plan. I went to Italy for ten days in high school and fell in love. I saw all the sites, but I never was able to truly experience the culture. Although the thought of leaving my friends, family, and Stonehill for over four months is intimidating, I know that this is the right decision. I will miss everyone dearly, but this is not permanent. I will be back. I hope that I will return not necessarily changed... but grown up. I realize that I will have to cook on my own, find my way around a new city, use different means of transportation, meet new people, and figure out the easiest ways to travel around Europe. I do not know if I'm ready, but I have accepted the fact that this will probably be the most challenging time of my life. From what I hear the experience is completely worth it.

Five things to look forward to...

1. Traveling Italy, traveling Europe: It has always been a dream of mine to travel throughout Europe. There is so much history in each country, especially in Italy. I mentioned earlier that I have already been to Italy once, but I promise you it was one of the most beautiful places I have every seen. Many of my Stonehill friends are traveling abroad this semester as well. Alex (My JCU roommate) and I have already started a list of all of the places we want to visit while in Europe: Barcelona, Paris, London, Prague, etc. I have at least one friend staying in each country, so it will hopefully be easy to see the sites and have a place to crash for free.
2. Food: For those of you that do not know me, I love food. I cannot wait to be reunited with gelato, but I also look forward to trying new things. I'm sure by the end of my stay in Rome I will only be able to afford pasta and wine-- not that I am complaining! I am not the biggest fan of both of these things, but I think I will be able to manage.
3. Experience: Having taken Italian for four years in high school and taking three semesters at the advanced level in college will only enhance my background knowledge of the country's language and history. It is one thing to visit the country for a week, but it is completely different to actually live in Italy for four months of my life. The culture, the people, the customs are going to be unlike anything that I am used in the US: I am going to be walking everywhere, I have to pick up fresh food nearly every day, I need to hang dry my clothes, I need to be conscientious of pick-pocketers. It is definitely going to be an adjustment.
4. Meet new people: I have joined all of the groups on Facebook associated with API Rome and I have seen all of the names of the people that will be coming on this trip with me. It's hard to believe that some of these people are going to be my best friends for the next semester, maybe longer. When I am abroad I want to try to get involved by joining a club or two with JCU and possibly even doing some community service. It is one of my main goals to get to know the community I am living in and the people who I will be sharing my experiences with.
5. Growing up: This is kind of a scary one. I am going to be doing a lot of things on my own next semester. Things that I would normally not have to think twice about are going to be the most difficult tasks just because I will not know where to go, who to speak to, or even how to speak to someone. One main purpose of this trip is for me to learn more about myself. Hopefully, by the end of it I will be able to confidently say that I can live and survive on my own. Stonehill is one of my favorite places to be, but let's be honest college is not real life. Studying abroad is just as much about growing up as it is about having fun.

Five things I am worried about...

1. Being Pick-pocketed. If anyone was going to be mugged it would probably be me. My family and friends have always said that I lack street-smarts. Personally, I like to give myself a bit more credit than that...but I can see where they are coming from. I really just do not want anything to be stolen. I have heard of apartments being broken into, theft on the street, and in hostels. Awareness is going to be key in Rome. As long as I am aware of my surroundings and keep my bag in front of me I am hoping I am going to be fine.
2. Missing Friends and Family. This is an obvious one. My family and my friends mean everything to me. To not be around them all the time for an entire semester is going to be hard. I have gotten closer to a lot people this past summer and I cannot believe that I have to leave so soon. I am going to do my absolute best to remain in contact with everyone from home, but at the same time I realize that I need to step outside of my comfort zone and not rely on things like Skype or Snapchat 24/7. I am going to be meeting new people, but those I am leaving at home are still going to have a major impact on my experience abroad.
3. Cooking. As excited as I am for all of the food that I will be eating in Europe, I cannot forget that I am going to need to cook a lot of it. Luckily, Alex's dad is a chef so she has some skills in that department. This past summer I have been cooking on my own as well, so I think I will be able to survive. It will be different. I am not sure how my kitchen is set up (assuming I have one) and I know that I will have to go shopping more frequently than I am used to going now. Once I get a budget I will feel better about myself.
4. Getting Lost. Again, this has to do with street smarts (or my lack there of). I will admit I have no sense of direction...at all. Maybe I will somehow learn my way around Rome, but if I am being honest I still do not know my way around the mall. The fact is that I am going to have to ask for help and I am okay with that.
5. Change. This is what I am most nervous about. I am not necessarily afraid of leaving and being away for just a few months, but I am afraid of my return. Although I know that I will gain new perspective on many different things while I am abroad, I do not want this to change my feelings towards things at home. More importantly, however, I do not want people to forget about me. This may be selfish and even sound silly, but I am not going to be around for four whole months. That is a long time. I am worried that I am going to come back and nothing is going to be the same.  I want everything to remain exactly how I left it, but that seems unrealistic. I will not be seeing some of my best friends for the entire year. Several of them will be leaving for their study abroad program as soon as I get back from mine. Junior year is going to be one of the best years of my life, but I also have a feeling it is going to be a "lost year."  I can only hope that when I do experience any change, it is only for the better.